Athlete’s foot  is common among men

A 23 – year – old - student at KIST recently consulted the dermatology department of CHUK complaining of itching and burning sensation in his feet. He said had a lot pain, his skin was cracking and even bleeding.

The young man had red, peeling, dry skin on both soles of the feet. The dry flakes were spread onto the sides and on the tops of his feet. The most affected part was in between the last two baby toes.

This is just one example of the increasing number of people who are reporting to health experts especially dermatologists complaining of ulcerations between their toes.

People who do not clean their socks regularly end up suffering from a disease called Athlete’s foot, a fungal infection that is caused by poor hygiene of the feet.

This is a problem that is know to cut across social classes, even people with white and blue collar jobs get affected.
When the feet and other areas of the body stay moist, warm, and irritated, this fungus can thrive and infect the upper layer of the skin.

This is why people who put on closed shoes from Monday to Sunday are more likely to suffer from this infection than those who wear open shoes.

While Athlete’s foot may be contagious from person to person, it is not always the case. 

There are households where families use the same bathroom for years and even if one member is affected the other remain safe.

This is because some people may be more susceptible to the fungus that causes athlete’s foot while others are more resistant.

How to avoid Athlete’s foot

The first and most important step is to make the infected area less suitable for the athlete’s foot fungus to grow. This is done means keeping the feet clean and dry.

Buy shoes that are leather or other breathable material. Shoe materials such as vinyl that do not breath cause your feet to remain moist, providing an excellent area for the fungus to breed.

Likewise, absorbent socks like cotton that wick water away from your feet may help.

Powders, especially those medicated powders with miconazole can help keep feet dry and so does soaking feet in diluted white vinegar.

The use of antifungal creams like miconazole, clotrimazole and terbinafine sprays are also effective.

Treatment for athlete’s foot should generally be continued for four weeks. The symptoms may disappear after a week, however, it is important that medication proceeds for the extended period.

If the fungal infection spreads to the toe nails, they too must be treated to avoid re-infection. Effective nail fungus treatment may be more intensive and require prolonged courses that take three to four months of oral antifungal medications.

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